Why AMC Stubs A-List is better than MoviePass

The
AMC Stubs A-List app.
AMC

• After
  
  MoviePass
  
  ‘s
  “one movie a day” deal proved too good to be true, author
  Alexis Reliford switched to
  AMC’s movie
  subscription service,
  AMC Stubs A-List
  .
• Reliford says MoviePass users “definitely won’t regret
  switching” to
  
  AMC Stubs A-List
  
  for a number of
  reasons.

Confession: I’ve gone to a movie
theater almost every weekend this year, and depending on what
films were released in a single weekend, more than once. There’s
just something about relaxing in plush chairs, munching on
buttered popcorn, and seeing films on the big screen that keeps
me going back.

But, while I’m happy to regularly
breathe in the theater air, my bank account isn’t always smiling.
This is the reason more than one person in my life suggested I
sign up for

MoviePass

.

Initially, I wasn’t sold. Sure,
the “one movie a day” deal the subscription service originally
offered sounded intriguing, but it also sounded a little too good
to be true.

My options, though, were to
either scale back how often I went to the theater (not
happening), go to only cheaper matinee showings (not a morning
person), or to sign up for

MoviePass

. So, of course, I chose the latter and
signed up in March.

But, then things quickly took a
turn for the worse.

I got about a good month of use
in before

the MoviePass rug was pulled out
from under me

. The
restrictions started rolling in. Glitches began occurring. Films
were missing from the app. Certain theaters were blocked. If I
was going to pay for a service, then I wanted one that wouldn’t
crash when I was itching to see Tom Cruise’s death-defying,
action movie antics. That’s when AMC showed up.

Around this same

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”
fallout

, AMC announced
their own premium movie theater subscription, and instantly I was
persuaded to join. Three months later, I still don’t regret my
decision to switch from MoviePass.

Alexis
Reliford/Business Insider; AMC Stubs A-List

How AMC Stubs A-List
works

For $19.95 a month plus tax, you
can see up to three films a week with the

AMC Stubs A-List

membership. In addition to regular 2D films,
you can also see films in premium formats, including IMAX at AMC,
Dolby Cinema, and RealD 3D at no extra cost.

Plus, you get all the same
benefits of an AMC Stubs Premiere membership, like waived online
ticketing fees, and you can use the membership at all AMC, AMC
Dine-In, and classic AMC theaters across the country.

It took less than 10 minutes to sign up

Maybe it helped that I was
already an AMC Stubs Insider (their free membership program), but
either way, signing up for the A-List membership was a breeze. I
signed up directly on their app and was able to start using the
service immediately.

This was already a huge
improvement from MoviePass. With their service, I not only had to
sign up on a computer, but was also forced to wait days for my
subscription card to arrive in the mail before I could actually
see any films.

Alexis
Reliford/Business Insider; AMC Stubs A-List

Making reservations and checking in at the theater is a
breeze

With AMC Stubs A-List, I can make
up to three reservations at a time via the app as soon as tickets
go on sale. There are no blackout dates and I don’t have to be
within 100 yards of the theaters to reserve a ticket, as
MoviePass requires. Once I arrive for my show, I just walk up to
the theater concierge and scan my ticket directly from my
phone.

Restrictions are a thing of the past … mostly

AMC Stubs A-List may be twice as
expensive as MoviePass is at $9.95 a month, but it makes up for
the price difference with fewer restrictions and better perks. On
the days when MoviePass was actually working, I had to scramble
to get to the theater early to reserve a ticket (due to the
aforementioned 100 yards rule) and, eventually, couldn’t see
popular films that were once included in the subscription. I also
had to upload photos of my ticket stubs to verify purchases and
couldn’t see a film more than once.

Read more: 
We
compared MoviePass’ revised service against AMC’s monthly
subscription plan, and there’s a clear winner

Now with AMC, I don’t have to
keep track of any paper stubs and can see a movie as many times
as I please. This repeat movie perk is the best one of all,
particularly for someone like me who saw “Avengers: Infinity War”
seven times in theaters (don’t ask me why.)

Alexis
Reliford/Business Insider; AMC Stubs A-List

Smuggling snacks into the theater is no longer
necessary

I’ve been

that

person before, the one who brought in their
own candy, drinks, and popcorn. Once, I even smuggled in a bowl
of Chipotle. Not because I’m wildly cheap, but because movie
theater concessions are ridiculously expensive.

Sure, MoviePass allowed me to see
a movie a day, but there were no perks on theater food.
Fortunately, with AMC Stubs A-List there is. In addition to
scoring a free large popcorn and drink combo on my birthday, I
also earn 100 points for every $1 spent on concessions or extra
tickets (beyond those three a week). Every $50 spent equals 5,000
points, which converts into a $5 reward.

For someone who goes to theaters
as often as I do, this reward isn’t hard to come by and those
Reese’s Cups I used to smuggle in inside my purse are more
affordable (if not free).  

Additionally, A-List members
enjoy free size upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks and
priority lanes at the box office and concession stands. If you’ve
ever gone to an opening night showing of a popular film, you’ll
identify with how good of a feeling it is to not have to wait in
a long concession line, especially when the theater doesn’t have
reserved seating.

Hollis Johnson/Business
Insider

Overall, it was more than worth the investment

Snack rewards, simple service,
and general access to films make AMC Stubs A-List a great
alternative to MoviePass in its current state. Best of all, the
terms and fees won’t change in the middle of service as they did
for me with MoviePass.

Once you sign up for AMC Stubs
A-List, the price and perks are guaranteed for one full year. So,
while it’s double the cost of MoviePass, you definitely won’t
regret switching.